The Florida Supreme Court has approved the language for a proposed state constitutional amendment which would automatically restore voting rights to many ex-felons who have completed their sentence, parole, and probation.

Florida is one of only four states (Florida, Kentucky, Virginia, Iowa) with a lifetime ban on voting for people with previous felony convictions. Nearly 1.6 million Florida residents are currently barred from voting because of the state's strict disenfranchisement law. The proposed amendment will bring Florida's criminal justice rules in line with other states.

The passage of the constitutional amendment is not complete. Thousands of Floridians would need to go to the polls and vote for the constitutional amendment which needs 60% to be approved.